The present invention is directed to the art of dispensing fluid materials and systems for monitoring the dispensing apparatus. More particularly, the invention is directed to improvements in monitoring systems for such apparatus to improve the ability to detect system anomalies.
Fluids may be applied to any number of objects and surfaces by a variety of dispensing techniques including spraying. Dispensing systems typically include a dispensing device that may have a nozzle that produces a desired pattern, a pump and other related devices. It is often desirable to be able to monitor various flow characteristics of the fluid within the dispensing system in order to detect system malfunctions or wearing parts. One such monitoring system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,106 (the xe2x80x9c""106 patentxe2x80x9d) issued to Buckler, owned in common with the assignee of the present invention, the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. The cited patent may be referred to for exemplary details of the fluid dispensing system and basic monitoring system. This system has enjoyed commercial success by permitting an operator to monitor from a remote location a flow characteristic of the fluid being dispensed. The present invention is directed to further improvements of the ""106 patent.
The present invention provides in a first embodiment a monitoring system that permits an operator to observe on a visual display operating data for a plurality of dispensing devices. These data displays are visual representations based on signals received from a monitor control. The operator is able to arrange and group the displays of a plurality of dispensing devices as required. In one embodiment, the visual representations include graphical representations of a characteristic of the dispensed fluid on a time line, such as a pressure reading for example. Such graphical representations may include alarm limits or bands. Each visual representation may include fault indications that are time and date stamped. The visual representations may also be color coded to indicate normal and fault conditions. All of this monitoring activity may conveniently be performed at a location that is remote from the dispensing devices. The collected information may be logged in memory for later analysis such as exporting the data to another program such as a spreadsheet or database.
Various other embodiments of the invention are described and claimed herein, and other features and advantages of the present device will become apparent from the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings and claims, which form a part of the specification.